Minister Enrico Giovannini, a meeting with EU Commissioner Vestager on the new Alitalia is scheduled for Tuesday. Are you confident of a green light from Brussels for the operation?
The work is progressing very intensively and I hope that on Tuesday we can take a step towards a shared solution.
The issues are several. The transition from the old Alitalia to Ita foresees thousands of fewer workers (the most accredited hypothesis is 5-6 thousand exits ed). How will you manage the redundancies?
The government will protect all excess workers. We are talking about highly skilled workers. In addition to traditional forms of support, Minister Orlando is envisioning innovative tools, including new forms of relocation.
In what sense relocation?
The new company will not be a copy of the previous one. It could create innovative services in line with an evolving market. Furthermore, it could take on an environmental sustainability profile in line with the increased sensitivity of users, especially of young groups. However, timeliness is crucial. It is necessary that the company is able to take advantage of the restart that we hope will happen as soon as possible thanks to the vaccination campaign.
What is the direction?
Putting Ita at the center of a Covid free transport policy, which does not only concern flights or trains, but the entire integrated system.
What role could the new Alitalia play in this system?
The choices are up to the management. There are examples, such as the agreement signed between Lufthansa and the German railways for an integration between different modes of transport. It is time to rethink the airlines’ offer and reduce their environmental impact.
Another open dossier is Autostrade. The negotiation between CDP and Atlantia has been extended again, until March 27th. Atlantia is asking for more money. Is the government willing to make a greater effort?
I do not make the autonomous choices of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and the funds that have submitted the offer. Atlantia, however, stated that if an agreement was reached we could proceed to close the settlement agreement and define the Economic-Financial Plan (Pef) and this would unlock the investments. It wants to make very substantial interventions to guarantee safety and to improve the innovation of the motorway network.
An agreement is needed to unblock investments. However, eight months have passed since the agreement between Atlantia and the Conte government and the operation has not taken off. What is the input of the new government?
Again, the question of timing is fundamental. I invite the parties to find a solution as quickly as possible because the country needs to make a big leap forward in terms of infrastructure, also thanks to the resources of the Next Generation EU.
The offer for Autostrade is linked to the company’s new economic and financial plan, which has not yet been approved. When will there be the green light from Mims, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility?
The decisive step is the possible agreement between CDP, the funds and Atlantia.
Does the government have a plan B if the deal between CDP and Atlantia fails?
Obviously, the theme is well present, but it is not the time to discuss alternative hypotheses. An agreement must be found on the scheme already set up.
Let’s stay with transport, but let’s move on to public transport: buses, trams, subways. In September everything had to be ready for the reopening of the schools and then it did not go well at all. Now schools close, but when the grip of the virus eases, the problems will arise again. Is something being done to prevent the same mistake from happening again?
The recent Dpcm provides for the establishment of tables led by the prefects to facilitate the coordination of local authorities (including school boards), which have direct responsibility for the local transport system. Just yesterday the national monitoring table that I wanted to set up met for the first time, with the participation of the Ministry of the Interior, the Regions, the UPI and the Anci to centrally assess any obstacles and possible solutions. The first meeting was very fruitful and the initiative was appreciated and appreciated by all parties involved. And then there will be new resources for public transport.
When?
The decree with the 2020 resources for the Regions – months late – is going to the Official Journal and we are already preparing the one on the 2021 funds. But then it is necessary to verify how this money will be spent.
That is?
I asked my offices to monitor how the funds are transformed into new means of transport and services to citizens. The latter are rightly interested in being able to move safely and efficiently. Allocating millions of euros for public transport is important, but if the resources are not invested to improve services, we have not achieved our goal.
We come to the Recovery. In the Conte government’s plan there were 48 billion for infrastructure. Will you put in more money?
It is a possibility and we are discussing it. There are interactions with other ministries also to recover a package of projects that the previous government had discarded or to enhance them better.
Which?
A discarded project that will be recovered is that of the Zes, the special economic zones. Another project could be strengthened.
Which?
Cold ironing, i.e. the possibility of electrifying the docks in ports to supply energy to ships. One way to cut down on the pollution produced by their diesel engines that stay on when they are stopped.
–
